CHAPTER IX THE DISTRICT ARCHERY MEETING (Part II.)

(a) The master-at-arms then commands the marker to take the flag, and go and stand with his back to the target. This he does, and stands ready.

(b) Then the director of archery turns, and, standing opposite the first of the three couples, with his face to the west, sends them to shoot.

(c) After that he returns to his place, and the first couple salute and go forward, with the first shooter on the left, and both walking together. When abreast the steps they salute, facing north. When they come to the foot of the steps they salute again, and the first shot goes first up three steps, the second following him as far as the middle step. Then the first shot ascends to the hall and bears a little to the left, the second then ascending. The first shot then makes a salute, and they walk along together. When each is abreast his own mark he faces north, salutes, and, as he reaches his mark, salutes again. Then each, placing his left foot on his mark, turns, looks at the target centre, brings his feet together, and stands ready.

(d) The master-at-arms goes to the west of the west hall, not wearing finger-stall or armlet, but with his left arm bared, and holding his bow.

(e) He passes out to the south of the director of archery, and, ascending the west steps, goes round the

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pillar to the back of the first shot, and, standing facing south-west between the marks, takes the end of the bow in his right hand, and holding it aloft southwards, calls to the marker to get away from the target.

(f) The marker then takes up the flag and calls out: 1 "All right." Before the call ceases he has reached the screen, where, sitting down, he turns his face to the east and lays down the flag ; thereafter standing up to await further orders.

(g) The master-at-arms, going out by the south of the second shot, walks round behind him. and descending the west steps, goes back by the south of the director and reaches the west of the west hall, where he lays down his bow, draws on his coat, and returns to his place, taking his stand to the south of the director.

(h) The director then goes forward and meets the master-at-arms at the front of the western steps, each on the other's left hand ; then in front of the hall, to the east of the western steps, he turns his face to the north, and looking at the first shot, orders him not to hit or " wing " the marker. The first shot makes a salute, and then the director withdraws and returns to his place.

(i) Then they shoot. The first shot having loosed his arrow, lays another on his bow, and then the second shot looses. Then they loose again in the same order until their sets of arrows are exhausted.

(J) Then the marker sits down and calls out : "You've got it !" 2 As he raises his flag he calls it loudly in the note kung, and as he lays the flag down he repeats it softly in the note shang.

(k) Though a hit is made, no tally is laid down. 3

(l) When the shooting is finished, they do not lay another on the string, but, facing south, make their salute, just as when they went up to the hall to shoot.

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(m) The first shot descends three steps, and the second, a little to his right, comes down to the middle step. Then they both continue their descent, the first shot being on the left.

(n) In descending they keep the left hand to the left of those going up. When they meet before the steps they bow to one another. Then they pass to the south of the master-at-arms, and, going to the west of the west hall, lay down their bows, put off their finger-stalls and armlets, draw on their coats, and stand ready to the west of the hall, facing south, and graded from the east. These rules are observed by all three couples.

(o) Then the director puts away his cane, leaning it against the west side of the west steps, and going up to the hall, he faces north, and announces to the principal guest that the three couples have finished their shooting. Thereupon the guest makes a salute.

2. Taking the Arrows and placing them on the Stand.

(a) Then the director goes down the steps, and, putting his rod into his girdle, returns to his place. After this the master-at-arms goes to the west of the hall, and, baring his arm, takes his bow, and, advancing by the south of his settled place, meets the director in front of the steps, each keeping the other on his left. He then goes up by the west steps, and, walking round the west pillar and behind the right-hand mark, stands between the marks facing south-west, and sweeps the bow downward as a signal for the arrows to be collected.

(b) Then the marker takes the flag, and says, " All right," and, before he finishes speaking, he grasps the

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flag, and, standing with his back to the target, awaits further orders.

(c) Then the master-at-arms issues to the south of the left mark, and, going round by the back of it, descends by the west steps.

(d) Then he goes to the front of the hall, and, with his face to the north, stands to the south of where they are about to set up the arrow-stand, and commands the pupils to set it up.

(e) So they set up the arrow-stand on the centre line of the court as far south as the used-water jar, and on a line west and east.

(f) The master-at-arms passes to the south of the director, withdraws, and puts his bow away at the west of the hall. He then draws on his coat and returns to his place.

(g) Then the pupils take the arrows, and, sitting down with their faces to the north, spread them out on the stand with their feathers to the north. Thereafter they withdraw, and the master-at-arms, drawing on his coat, goes forward to the south of the stand, and, sitting down with his face to the north, uses his right and left hands to move the arrows about and arrange them in their sets of four.

(h) If the arrows are not all there, the master-at-arms again bares his arm, takes his bow as before, and, going up to the hall, calls out : " You have nor gathered the full tale of arrows."

(i) The pupils from the west side answer, " All right," and again look for the arrows and place those they find on the stand.

3. The Second Invitation to Shoot.

The director then leans his rod against the west of the steps, and, going up, extends an invitation to shoot

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to the principal guest as before, the guest replying, " All right."

4. Arranging all the Couples.

(a) If the principal guest and the host and a great officer happen to wish to take part together in the shooting, then it is announced to the principal guest, and then to the host from the top of the eastern steps. The host and the principal guest make a couple for the shooting.

(b) Then an announcement is made to the great officer. Although there happen to be several of these present, they are all paired off with ordinary officers, and the couple is announced to the great officer thus : " So-and-so will wait on your honour."

(c) Then at the top of the west steps, and with face to the north, he calls on the three representatives of the body of guests to shoot.

(d) When the director comes down the steps he puts his rod into his girdle, goes round to the south of the master-at-arms to the west of the hall, and stands there to discriminate between the couples.

(e) Then all those of the body of guests who desire to engage in the shooting descend the steps together, and go by the south of the master-at-arms to the west of the hall, where they take their stand in line with the three former couples, grading from the east, the first being the couples in which are the great officers. If there happen to be any facing east, their grading is from the north.

(f) But the principal guest, the host, and the leading great officer, do not yet go down.

(g) Thereupon the director discriminates the general body of couples.

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5. Sending the Three Couples to get the Arrows from the Arrow-Stand,

(a) Then the director commands the first three couples to take up their arrows, and thereafter returns to his place.

(b) The three couples, with the left arm bared, and wearing the finger-stall and armlet, take up their arrows,5 and, taking their bows, they advance and stand to the north-west of the master-at-arms.

(c) Then the director causes the first couple to take their arrows and return to their place.

(d) Whereupon the first couple make a salute, and, advancing, salute again abreast of the arrow-stand, facing north, and again when they reach the stand. The first shot stands with his face eastward, and the second with his face to the west.

(e) The first shot salutes, advances, and, sitting down, holds his bow across his body with his left hand; while passing his right hand with the palm up under the bow he takes an arrow, and lays it against the hold of the bow and strokes the feathers. Then he rises, and, taking hold of the bowstring, turns to the left, and, returning to his place, makes a salute with his face eastward.

(f) The second shot goes forward, sits down, and, holding the bow across his body, extends his hand palm downwards over the bow, and takes an arrow and rises, the remainder of his actions being like those of the first shot.

(g) When they have taken all their arrows they salute, and both turn to the left, and, facing south, salute, then go forward a little together until they are abreast of the arrow-stand on the south of it, and, turning together to the left, face the north. Putting

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three arrows into their belts, they fit one on the string, salute, turn to the left again together, with the first shot on the right. Those returning keep the left hand to the left of those who are advancing. They exchange bows with the others, and then return to their places.

(h) The other two couples then take their arrows in the same way, the couple coming last taking as well the arrows with which the mode of shooting was demonstrated, picking them up along with their own sets, and giving them to an assistant, who stands to the west, and afterwards returning to their places.

6. All the Couples go to their Places for the Shooting.

Before the body of guests take up their arrows at the west of the hall, they bare the left arm, and put on the finger-stall and armlet. Then they take their bows, and, putting three arrows in their belts, fit one on the bow. They come from the west of the hall, and range themselves after the three student couples, standing to the south of them, facing east, and graded from the north, the great officers' couples being first.

7. The Second Shooting.

(a) The director calls on them to shoot, as before. Each couple bow, and go up as before. Then the master-at-arms commands the marker to leave the target, and he replies : " All right." Afterwards the master-at-arms goes down the steps, lays aside his bow, and returns to his place.

(b) Then the director lays a single arrow on his bow, and, putting away his rod, meets the master-at-arms in front of the steps, goes up, and asks permission of the principal guest to have tallies laid down to mark the scores.

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(c) This the guest grants, and the director goes down the steps, puts his rod in his girdle, and, with his face to the west, stands to the north-west of where they are about to place the tally-holder. He then commands the scorer to put the tally-holder in place and attend to it.

(d) The scorer then takes up the deer-shaped tally-holder, and a man carries the tallies after him.

(e) The scorer sits and places the tally-holder south and abreast of the arrow-stand, and west, in line with the west inner wall, with its face to the east. He then gets up, and, receiving the tallies, sits down and places eight of them in the holder, and lays out the rest to the w^est of it, with their ends south. He then gets up, and, putting his hands up together, stands ready.

(f) Then the director goes forward, and, standing below the hall with his face to the north, issues this command : " The arrow that does not pierce the target, 5 although it should hit it, is not to score." The first shot salutes, and the director retires and returns to his place.

(h) The shooting then begins. If a hit be made, the scorer sits down and tallies it, laying down a tally for each hit, to the right for the first, and to the left for the second. If there are any tallies over, they are returned and laid out in the place whence they were taken.

(i) On the next occasion he also takes the eight tallies from the holder, and puts another eight in, and, rising, takes the first eight and stands ready.

(j) When the three couples have finished shooting —

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(k) The principal guest, the host, and the great officer, salute one another, and each goes down by his proper stair and bows. At the east of the eastern hall the host bares his left arm, puts on his finger-stall and armlet, and, taking his bow, puts three arrows in his belt, and lays one on the bow. The principal guest, at the west of the hall, does the same, and all proceed to mount by their proper stairs at the same time. At the foot of the steps they salute, and again when they reach the hall. The host becomes the second shot, and each, when he is abreast his mark, faces north and salutes. They salute again when they reach their marks. Thereafter they shoot, and, when they are finished, salute with their faces to the south. Then each goes to his proper steps, and salutes at the top of them, and again when he goes down. The guest, to the west of the west inner wall, and the host, to the east of the eastern, lay down their bows, discard finger-stall and armlet, and draw on their coats. They return to their places and ascend, saluting at the steps, and again when they reach the hall, and all go to their mats,

(l) The great officer then bares his left arm, puts on his finger-stall and armlet, takes his bow, puts three arrows in his belt, and fits one on the bow. He then issues from the west of the hall, and, going to the west of the director, takes his place with his competitor. He is reckoned the second shot. He salutes and advances, his comrade withdrawing a little. Then they salute, as did the three student couples, and when they reach the steps his comrade ascends first. When they have finished shooting, they bow, as when ascending to shoot, and his comrade goes down first. When they reach the bottom, his comrade withdraws a little, and they both lay down their bows to the west

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To face p. 97.

of the hall and draw on their coats. His comrade remains at the west of the hall, and the great officer goes up the steps and returns to his mat.

(m) The body of guests shoot thereafter, the scoring being as before.

(n) It is only the first couple that are called upon by the director to shoot.

(o) When the shooting is finished, the scorer takes the remaining tallies that he holds, and, going up by the west steps to the top, but not entering the hall, announces to the principal guest that each member of all the couples has finished shooting. Then he descends, returning to his place, and, sitting, lays out the remaining tallies to the west of the holder, rises, holds his hands up together, and stands ready.

8. Again Taking the Arrows.

(a) The master-at-arms bares his left arm, puts on the finger-stall, 6 takes his bow, and commands them to collect the arrows as before. The scorer says: " All right," and, taking the flag, stands with his back to the target as before. Then the master-at-arms descends, lays aside his bow, and returns to his place.

(b) The pupils then lay out the arrows as before, binding together those belonging to the great officer with ribbon grass below the centre. But the set belonging to the master-at-arms are left like the others.

9. Announcing the Score.

(a) The director goes to the west of the west steps, and, laying down his bow and putting away his rod, he draws on his coat. Then, coming forward from the east side of the tally-holder, and standing to the south of it, he looks over the tallies.

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(b) The scorer stands facing east at the west side of the holder, and, sitting down, first counts the right-hand tallies. Two tallies make a pair, and as each pair is taken up it is laid in the left hand. When ten pairs are picked up, they are reckoned a set, and this is laid out. The sets are arranged so as to distinguish between them, and, if there are any pairs over, they are laid across below the sets. A single tally over is called the " odd," and is laid along below the pairs that are over.

(c) Then he gets up, goes across the front of the holder to the left side, sits again, with his face to the east, and, gathering the tallies together, places them in his left hand, laying out each set as he gathers it, and making distinction between the various sets of ten pairs. He treats those over as when he gathered the right-hand tallies.

(d) The director returns to his place, and the scorer,, advancing, and taking the tallies of the winning side, holds them, and going up the west stair to the top, but not entering the hall, announces the result to the principal guest.

(e) If it be the right-hand side that has won, he says: "The right has excelled the left." And if the left has won, he says : " The left side has excelled the right." He announces the number of pairs of tallies, and, if there is an odd one, he announces it as : *' The odd." But if the right and left are equal, then he takes a tally from those belonging to each side, and says: " Right and left are equal."

(f) Then he descends and returns to his place, and, sitting down, gathers together the tallies, and, placing eight in the holder, lays out the rest to the west of it, rises, lifts up his hands together, and stands ready.

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10. Giving Wine to the Losers.

(a) The director goes to the west of the hall, and commands the pupils to set out the stand for the goblet. They carry the stand reverently up to the hall, and place it to the west of the west pillar, and go down.

(b) Then the junior among the victors washes a goblet, and, going up, ladles wine into it. Then, sitting down, with his face to the south, he places it on the stand, goes down, bares the left arm, takes the bow, and returns to his place.

(c) Then the director bares the left arm, takes his bow, fits an arrow to it, puts his rod in his girdle, and, standing with his face to the north, to the south of the three student couples, commands them, and the victors among the body of guests, to bare their left arms, put on the finger-stall and armlet, and carry their bows strung ; while the losers, with their coats drawn on, and discarding the finger-stall and armlet, are ordered to hold out the left hand, palm upwards, lay the unstrung bow upon it with the right hand, grasp the hold of the bow, and so carry it.

(d) The director first goes to his place, and thereafter the three student couples, and all the rest of the shooters, each with his partner beside him, go forward and stand in the places from which they wait for the shooting, graded from the north.

(e) The director calls on them to go up and drink, in the same way as he called on them to shoot. Each couple advances and salutes as when they ascended to shoot, and when they reach the steps, the victors go up first to the hall, and bear a little to the right.

(f) Then the losers come forward, and, facing

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north, sit down and take the goblet off the stand, rise up, withdraw a little, and, standing, drink off the wine, advance again, sit, lay the goblet at the foot of the stand, then rise and salute. In descending the losers go first.

(g) Those going down keep their left hand to the left hand of those going up to drink, and when they meet in front of the steps, they salute one another. Then they go away by the south of the master-at-arms to the west of the west hall, and, laying down their bows, draw on their coats and stand ready.

(h) There is also a cup-bearer,

(i) The cup-bearer sits down, takes the goblet and fills it, then returns and places it on the stand, and the ascending and drinking are as before, the three student couples being the last to drink.

(j) If the principal guest, or host, or the great officer, be among the losers, he does not carry his bow. The cup-bearer takes the goblet, descends and washes it, then goes up, fills it, and hands it to the guest, host, or great officer, standing before his mat.

(k) The one who receives the goblet takes it, and, going to the top of the stairs, faces north, and, standing, drinks it off, hands it to the cup-bearer, and returns to his mat.

(l) When a great officer is drinking, his partner does not come up to the hall.

(m) If the partner of the great officer be a loser,- he holds his bow unstrung, and goes up alone to drink.

(n) When all the guests have drunk the shooting-cup in succession, the assistants remove the stand and goblet.

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11. Offering Wine to the Marker.

(a) The master-at-arms then washes a cup, and, going up the steps, fills it, and, descending, offers it to the marker in front of the target.

(b) The dried flesh and hash are served, and the stand of dismembered joints is set. The marker offers of the joints and relishes three times.

(c) The marker stands with his back to the target, and, facing north, bows and receives the cup. The master-at-arms faces west, and bows as he invites him to drink.

(d) Then the marker, taking the cup, tells the assistants to take up the relishes and meat-stand, and follow him to the right edge of the target, where they lay them down.

(e) He then faces south, and, sitting down, takes the cup in his left hand, and with his right makes an offering of the dried flesh and hash. Then he grasps the cup, and, standing up, takes the lung, sits and offers of it, and thereafter of the wine.

(f) After this he gets up again, and, going to the left side, and after that to the centre of the target, performs the same ceremony.

(g) Then, three paces north-west of the left side of the target, and facing east, the relishes and the meat-stand are set up, and the marker, standing to the right of the relishes and facing east, drinks, and, without bowing, finishes off the cup.

(h) Then the master-at-arms receives the cup, lays it in the cup-basket, and returns to his place. The marker takes his relishes, and, commanding an attendant to take the meat-stand and follow him, draws to one side, and sets them to the south of the

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screen, after which the marker goes and stands with his back to the target and waits orders.

12. Offering Wine to the Scorer.

(a) The director goes to the west of the steps, and, laying down his bow and arrows, putting away his rod, and doffing his finger-stall and armlet, goes to the used-water jar and washes a cup. He then ascends, and, filling it, comes down again and offers it to the scorer in his place, and a little to the south of it. The relishes are served, the meat-stand of dismembered joints being set, and there is the usual offering.

(h) The scorer, to the right of the relishes, with his face eastward, bows and receives the cup. The director, facing north, bows, inviting him to drink.

(c) The scorer goes up to his relishes, and, sitting down, holds the cup in his left hand, offers the relishes with his right, sits and takes the lung from the stand, sits down, and makes an offering of it. Thereafter he offers of the wine. He then gets up, and, standing to the west side of the director, faces north and drinks, but does not bow, and finishes the cup. Then the director takes the cup and places it in the cup-basket.

(d) The scorer, a little to the west, withdraws from the relishes and returns to his place.

(e) Then the director goes to the west of the hall, bares his left arm, puts on his finger-stall and armlet, takes his bow from the left of the steps, putting an arrow on it, and, thrusting his rod into his belt, returns to his place.

13. The Third Invitation to Shoot.

The director then puts away his rod, leaning it against the west of the steps, and, going up, invites the

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principal guest to shoot, with the same forms as before, and the guest complies.

14. The Shooters take their Arrows from the Stand.

(a) The director goes down the steps, and, putting his rod into his belt, passes round to the south of the master-at-arms, goes to the west of the hall, and commands the three student couples and the body of guests all to bare their left arms, put on finger-stall and armlet, take their bows, and go to their places, the director first going to his.

(b) Then those addressed do as directed and go forward in their couples, returning to their places in preparation for the shooting.

(c) The director calls on them to pick up their arrows. The three couples do so as before and return to their places. The principal guest, the host, and the great officer, go down the steps, saluting as before, and the host, at the east of the hall, and the guest at the west, all bare the left arm, put on finger-stall and armlet, take their bows, and all go forward, saluting in front of the steps, and again when they come to the arrow-stand. They then take up the arrows as the three student couples did.

(d) When each has finished, he turns north, puts three arrows in his belt, and, fitting one on the bow, salutes and withdraws.

(e) The principal guest, to the west of the hall, and the host to the east of it, both lay down their bows and arrows, draw on their coats, and, when they come to the steps, salute, and again when they ascend to the hall and go to their mats.

(f) The great officer, baring his left arm, and putting on finger-stall and armlet, takes his bow and goes to his partner.

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(g) Then they salute and advance together like the student couples, his companion facing east, and the great officer facing west. The great officer goes forward, and, sitting, takes the binding off his arrows, thereafter rising and returning to his place. His partner salutes and goes forward, sits, and, gathering his set of arrows, smooths their feathers and rises, returning to his place, where he salutes. Then the great officer advances, sits, and collects his set of arrows as his partner did.

(h) Then he faces north, and, putting three arrows into his belt, fits one on the bow, and, saluting, draws back.

(i) His partner having returned to his place, the great officer then goes to the west of the inner wall and lays down his bow and arrows. Then he draws on his coat, ascends the steps, and goes to his mat.

(j) The whole body of guests take up their arrows, as the three couples did, and return to their places.

15. The Third Shooting.

(a) The director again fits an arrow on his bow, and, going forward, calls to the first shot as before, and one couple salute and ascend.

(b) The master-at-arms goes up, and commanding the marker to leave the target, the latter calls out: " All right." Then the master-at-arms descends, and, laying aside his bow, returns to his place. The director and the master-at-arms meet before the steps, and the former lays aside his rod, draws on his coat, ascends, and asks permission to entertain the guests with music. To this the principal guest consents.

(c) The director descends, puts his rod in his belt, faces east, and commands the bandmaster, saying :

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" I have asked permission to entertain the guests with music, and they have consented."

(d) Then he goes to the space between the steps, and below the hall, faces north, and commands : " Whoever does not shoot in time with the drums will not have his shot counted." The first shot salutes, and the director withdraws and returns to his place.

(e) The bandmaster, facing east, commands the leading musician to play the Tsou-Yü with perfect rhythm in all its parts. He does not rise, but assents, and the bandmaster retires and returns to his place.

(f) Then they play the Tsou-Yü for the shooting, and after the three student couples have finished, the principal guest, host, great officer, and body of guests, shoot in succession, the scoring being as before. When they have finished shooting, they descend, and the scorer takes the tallies remaining over, and, going up the steps, announces the scores of the two sides. The completion of the shooting is as before.

16. The Collection of the Arrows and the Announcement of the Result are as before.

Then the master-at-arms ascends and commands them to gather up the arrows. The marker says, *' All right," and the master-at-arms descends, lays aside his bow, and returns to his place. The pupils lay out the arrows, and the master-at-arms separates them into sets, all as before. The director lays aside his bow and examines the score as before, and the scorer announces the successful side, or the tie, as before ; whereupon the director, descending, returns to his place.

17. Giving Wine to the Losers as before.

The director commands that the goblet-stand be set out, and this is done, and the goblet filled as before. Then he orders the winners to take their bent bows, and the losers their bows unstrung, and ascend to drink as before.

18. The Shooters again take their Arrows from the Stand.

(a) The director again bares his arm, and, putting on finger-stall and armlet, takes his bow in his left hand and an arrow in his right, lays the arrow along the string with its point forward, and goes to the right of the hall to order the taking up of the arrows as before.

(b) Then he returns to his station, and the three couples, with the principal guest, host, great officer, and body of guests, all bare their left arms, put on finger-stalls and armlets, and take, up their arrows as before, not putting the arrows on the bows, but laying one along the string and three along the hold of the bow. They then withdraw. They do not return to their stations, but give the bows and arrows to assistants at the west of the hall.

(c) After the taking up of the arrows is finished, they all salute, ascend the steps, and go to their respective mats.

19. The End of the Shooting.

(a) Then the director goes to the west of the hall, lays aside his bow, puts away his rod, doffs finger-stall and armlet, draws on his coat, and returns to his station.

(b) The master-at-arms orders the pupils to cast off the lower left brace of the target, and so set the cloth loose as before.

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(c) He orders the marker to remove the flag and the pupils to remove the arrow-stand. The director orders the scorer to take away the tally-holder and tallies and await orders.

(d) Then the master-at-arms reverts to his earlier office of overseer, and, withdrawing, takes his stand again to the south of the goblet between the steps.

(e) Then the bandmaster orders the pupils to assist the musicians back to their places, and the pupils lead them as when they ascended the steps. They ascend by the western steps, and, going back to their places, they sit down.